Mop



June 2, 1964 T. v. Moss 3,135,002

MOP

Filed Oct. 12, 1962 INVENTOR. THERON V. MOSS United States Patent Filed Oct. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 230,958 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-325?) This invention relates generally, as indicated, to a mop and more particularly to an improved mop construction affording a mop having a longer useful life.

Conventional mop swabs are made by sewing wide head bands, sometimes called saddle back head bands, to the middle of a swab of generally parallel mop yarns bunching the same together at the middle to provide a central relatively thick banding for the mop yarns which may be folded over and gripped by a clamp of a mop handle. The saddle back head bands are sewn transversely of the mop yarns, generally with three double rows of stitching which are equally spaced. The outer rows of stitches are placed near the edges of the saddle back head bands serving firmly to clamp the mop yarns adjacent the ends of such band. The mop yarns naturally bulge beyond these hem lines and beyond the edges of the saddle back head bands and these bulges absorb undue abrasive action when the mop head is drawn across a floor surface. Consequently, wearing at these bulging portions adjacent the head bands unravels the mop yarns and causes the same to separate substantially shortening the life of the mop. Attempts have been made to avoid this bulging by employing tighter, more twisted mop yarns which, of course, absorb less water but the inherent bulging adjacent the hem line of the head band still persists with resultant early deterioration of the mop strands.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved mop construction which will reduce the mop yarn wear at the bulging portion adjacent the head band hem.

A further principal object of the present invention is the provision of a mop having a head band incorporating a protective apron covering the bulge adjacent the transverse hem protecting the bulging yarns from undue wear and premature disintegration.

A further object is the provision of an improved mop head band construction which will permit the employment of loose and bulky, absorbent mop yarns having approximately half the twist found in yarns made in a conventional manner.

Another object is the provision of an apron for mop head bands which will extend longitudinally of the mop yarns protecting the same at the bulge adjacent the hem line and yet not preclude the necessary full flare of the mop yarns from the head band.

ther objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds. i

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a prior art mop illustrating the rnop handle, the clamp and the mop swab therein;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the manner in which the mop swab is folded over and clamped;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a mop swab in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of such swab as seen from the bottom in FIG. 3; and

3,135,982 Patented June 2, 1964- "nice FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of such mop swab folded preparatory to clamping in the mop handle.

Referring now to the annexed drawing and more particularly to the prior art mop shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that such mop comprises a mop swab 1 which is folded and clamped between jaws 2 and 3 which are mounted on the end of the mop handle 4. A cam lever 5 pivoted at 6 to a tranversely extending bar 7 is employed to move the jaws together to clamp the swab 1 therebetween and to hold the swab firmly fixed in the manner shown in FIG. 2 to the mop handle.

The mop swab 1 may be produced by laying a large number, e.g. 550 or more of individual yarns 9 in parallel relationship from banks of yarn cones or the like forming a wide, fiat assembly of parallel, yarns lying in a single plane. The yarns are secured together in such planar form by pairs of spaced tapes 10. The tapes may be sewn or otherwise suitably secured to the yarn. The flat layer of yarns is then severed in the middle of each pair of tapes and a flat mop swab joined together at each end by a tape it) is thus formed. The swabs produced in this manner are then bunched together in the middle and relatively wide saddle back head bands 11 are wrapped tightly around the yarns of each swab providing a central protective cover for the yarn. The head band and mop yarns are then stitched together by nylon thread using a lock seam with such stitching being placed in three double rows shown at l2, l3 and 14. The rows 12 and 14 in the saddle back head band are positioned adjacent the respective ends 15 and 16 thereof serving as hems tightly confining the yarn strands within the head band. The mop is then folded in the middle of the head band and clamped to the handle as shown in FIG. 2.

This manner of construction inherently produces a bulge in the yarns 9 as shown at 18 and 19 which is caused by the loose and bulky yarns expanding as they find their freedom from the confining head band. With aggressive scrubbing action by the mop Wielder, the yarns soon wear at the points of bulging 18 and 19 and actually separate substantially reducing the effective useful life of the mop. Attempts have been made to reduce this bulge by using a tighter yarn, but such is less water absorbent and it has been found that even with tighter yarns the bulging shown at 18 and 19 still occurs. Reference may be had to my Patent No. 2,825,914 and to my copending application, Serial No. 68,526, filed November 10, 1960 for Mop Construction for illustrations of such prior art mops.

It is understood that these mops form no part of the present invention.

Since the bulging of the yarns adjacent the end rows of stitching in the head band is that part of the mop head which comes most frequently in contact with the floor, and which absorbs the most abrasive action when the mop is in use, I have provided a mop head which includes an apron extending beyond the hem sewing which covers and protects the mop yarns in such bulge. With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the saddle back head band 26 is secured to the mop yarns 21 in such a manner as to provide protective covers shown at 2-2 and 23 for the yarn extending some distance beyond the outside rows of stitching 24 and 25 covering the bulge in the yarns formed by such stitching. A center double row of stitching 26 is also employed so that three equally spaced double rows of stitches are provided in the head band bunching together and securing the mop yarns centrally of the swab. The yarns will flare from the ends of the head band and will be secured at their ends in a single flat row by the tapes it The saddle back band 20 may vary in width (longitu- O dinally of the yarns 21) from four to eight inches, the

an eight inch head band, the stitching is placed so that the three double rows 24, 25 and 26 are equally spaced within the four inches at the center of the head band leaving an overlap of two inches at each end as shown at 22 and 23 which protectively covers the bulge in the yarns formed by the end stitching 24 and 25.

In a six inch head band, the three double rows of stitching are equally spaced within two inches at the center of the head band, also leaving a two inch overlap or protective cover at each end of the head. However, when a four inch head band is employed, the three double rows of stitches are equally spaced within the middle two inches of the head band leaving only a one inch protective cover extending at each end of the head band. Also, in a four inch head band, the three double rows of stitching may be equally spaced within the middle one inch of the head band leaving a one and one-half inch overlap at each end of the head. It is possible to obtain an apron effect even when very narrow head bands of, for example, two inches or two and one-half inches are employed. These bands are then sewn with only two double rows of stitching within the middle one inch space of the band leaving an overlap of one-half to three quarters inches at each end of the head band covering most of the protective bulge produced by the lock stitch sewing.

The head bands may be made of woven cotton, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, or other natural or synthetic fiber. It has been found especially advantageous to employ an open weave of nylon mesh. This open weave permits the head to dry faster and the nylon material is not subject to water deterioration. An open weave of a triangular pattern, similar to a herringbone weave, yet open, may also be employed.

In certain mopping applications, it may be desirable to permit a slightly more full flare of the mop yarns from the head band, and to accomplish this, a slit at each side of the head band starting from the outer row of stitches through the full extension of the protective cover beyond these stitches will permit more freedom for the yarn to spread. Triangular inserts of a suitable fabric material similar to that employed for the head band 20 may be sewn in these slits as shown at 30, 31, 32 and 33. Each triangular insert may have an outer base of approximately two inches which is shown considerably foreshortened in FIGS. 4 and 5 due to the flexible and folding nature of such insert. The insert then forms a cover for the yarns as they spread and emerge through the formed slit in the edges of the head band beyond the hem stitching 24 and 25.

As a yarn material, a mixture of cotton and rayon may be employed (half and half by weight, for example) or cotton alone or cotton reinforced with nylon. In any event, a soft or open twist is preferred, such affording a better water pick-up.

It has been found that with the above-described relatively simple improvements in mop construction, the useful life of a mop can be remarkably increased.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A mop swab comprising a bundle of a plurality of layers of substantially parallel mop yarns, said bundle being secured together in generally flattened form midway of its ends by a wide fabric band tightly wrapped about the same and stitched thereto operative to produce a bulge immediately beyond such stitching, said band extending substantially beyond said stitching to provide a protective cover for said bulges.

2. A mop swab as set forth in claim 1 including a slit at each side of said band extending beyond said stitching, and a flexible triangular insert secured in each said slit forming a cover for the cords as they spread and emerge through such slit.

3. A mop construction comprising a bundle of mop yarns, said bundle being secured together in generally flattened forrn midway of its ends by a fabric band tightly wrapped about the same and stitched thereto so as to form bulges in said yarns adjacent thereto, and said band including tapered extensions beyond such stitching protectively covering such bulges reducing abrasive wear on such yarns. 

1. A MOP SWAB COMPRISING A BUNDLE OF A PLURALITY OF LAYERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL MOP YARNS, SAID BUNDLE BEING SECURED TOGETHER IN GENERALLY FLATTENED FORM MIDWAY OF ITS ENDS BY A WIDE FABRIC BAND TIGHTLY WRAPPED ABOUT THE SAME AND STITCHED THERETO OPERATIVE TO PRODUCE A BULGE IMMEDIATELY BEYOND SUCH STITCHING, SAID BAND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY BEYOND SAID STITCHING TO PROVIDE A PROTECTIVE COVER FOR SAID BULGES. 